The Future of Sogo Shosha in a Global Economy

The Japanese “sogo shosha” – Japanese General Trading Companies – have played a major role in the phenomenal growth of the Japanese economy. Throughout the century, sogo shosha have secured raw material import inputs and have marketed and manufactured high value‐added exports of the Japanese economic machine. However, the twenty‐first century is nearly here – along with its global interdependent economy. How will the sogo shosha respond and adapt to these new economic realities? Does the sogo shosha have a future? The answer is “Yes”, but some changes are necessary if the sogo shosha are to survive in the next century.